Humidifier



Patented Feb. 22, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT, OFFICE.

LINDSAY H. TIMMONS, F DES MOINES, IOWA, ASSIGNOR TO ALWIN HAFFNER, OF DES MOINES, IOWA.

HUMIDIFIER.

Application filed November 1. 1926. Serial No. 145,674.

= and carried by'the warm air from said heater is automatically proportioned to the temperature of said heater.

A further object of the invention is to provide improved heat-controlled Water vapor supply means adapted to be connected with pressure water supply means and used in combination with a warm air heater.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved construction for a thermostat adaptedto be mounted in a warm air heaterand actuate Water flow control means,

A further ob ect of the lnventlon 15 to provide an improved water flow control valve adapted for use with a humidifier in combination with awarm air heater, whereby the flow of water is proportioned to the temperature of the heater.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved humidifier for use with warm air heaters which is simple and positive in its action, inexpensiveto manufacture and easy to install in various types of heaters already in use.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of elements hereinafter set forth, pointed out in my claims and illustrated by the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of the upper portion of a conventional warm air heater with my improved humidifier mounted thereon and connected for practical use, a portion of the heater easing being broken away to better illustrate otherwise concealed parts of the device. Figure 2 is a vertical section of the humidifier. on an enlarged scale. Figure 3 isa detail fragmentary section of the water flow control valve used in my device, on an enlarged scale relative to Figure 2. Figure 4 is an end elevation of one of the waterflow control valve elements on the same scale as Figure 3. Figure 5 is a plan of the drip cup and trap employed in my device. on the same scale as Figure 3. Figure'G is an end elevation of the thermostat and evaporating pan I employ, the scale being the same as used in Figure 2.

In the construction of my device as shown,

the numeral designates the warm air chamber casing of a conventional warm air heater, said casing being closed at the top by a plate 11 and provided with circulation ducts 12 in a common and well known manner, a portion of the fire-box within said casing being shown as indicated by the numoral 13. A tube 1 1 externally threaded at either end, is mounted vertically through an aperture in the top plate 11 and passes loosely through a flanged collar 15 riveted or bolted to said top plate, said collar being provided with a set screw 16 adapted to engage the tube 14 and position said tube vertically. A hollow cylinder 17 is formed of brass, aluminum or some such metal having a relativelyhigh coeiiicient of expansion, and has one closed and one open end and an arm 18 parallel to and spaced from the axis of said cylinder projects beyond said open end thereof. An internally threaded hole is formed in the outer end of the arm 18 and is adapted for threaded engagement with the lower end of the tube 141, a jam nut 19 serving to lock the tube and arm in the desired relation. Thus is the cylinder 17 supported at substantially right angles to the tube 14 and projecting laterally therefrom. A bell crank 20,- having arms-of unequal length, is pivotally mounted on a bolt 21 passing through holes in supporting webs in the angle be-;

tween the cylinder 17 and the arm 18, the

.shorter arm of said hell crank being adjacent the open end of the cylinder 17 and the longer arm beneath the open end of the tube 14. An axial-hole is formed in the closed end of the cylinder 17 and a rod 22, having one headed and one threaded end, formed of a metal having a relatively low coefiicient of expansion, is passed through said hole and the bore of said cylinder, the headed end 22' of said rod bearing against the closed end of the cylinder and the threaded end passing through a hole in the shorter arm of the bell crank and being provided with an adjusting nut- 23 and a lock nut 24 cars 30, 31 and a terminal boss 32.

The boss 26 of the rib 25 is apertured and threaded for engagement with the upper end of the tube 14 to the end that the head frame may be supported by said tube with the rib 25 projecting laterally therefrom and the web 28 vertical, a jam nut 33 serving to lock the head frame to the tube in the desired relation. A bell crank 34 is pivoted on a bolt 35 near the base of the web 28 between the bosses 26 and 27, one arm of said bell crank projecting over the open upper end of the tube 14 and the other arm extending upward along the web 28 past and adjacent to the car 30 of the arm 29. A rod 36, having one headed and one thread ed end. connects the horizontal arms of the bell cranks 20 and 34 through the tube 14, the headed end of said rod bearing beneath the longer arm of the bell crank 20 and the threaded end jiirojecting above the horizontal arm of the bell crank 34. A coil spring 37 surrounds the projecting, threaded end of the rod 36 and is confined between theupper surface of the horizontal arm of the bell crank 34 and an adjusting nut 38 threaded on said rod, a lock nut 39 serving to retain the nut 38 in the desired position. The terminal boss 32 of the arm 29 is recessed and internally threaded for connec tion with a pipe 40 which leads through a cutoff valve 41 to a source of water supply as indicated at 42. Registering holes are formed through the vertical arm of the bell crank 34-, the cars 30 and 31 and one wall of the boss 32, the'holes through the bell crank arm and the cars 30 and 31 being of the same size while that in the wall of the boss 32 is relatively smaller and provided with a tapered seat on the end adjacent the car 31 and intersects the recess in said boss. A valve plunger 43 is provided with a threaded portion at one end anda tapered portion 44 and reducedend portion 45 at the other end, the portions 44 and 45 preferably being of some non-rustingor rust resisting metal. The valve plunger 43 is mounted through the registering holes in the bell crank arm, cars 30 and 31 and boss 32, the tapered portion 44 seating against the tapered end of the hole in said boss and the reduced end portion 45 extending into the recess therein. An expansive coil spring 46 surrounds the plunger 43 between the cars 30 and 31. one end of said spring hear ing g nst he face of the car 30 and the within the heater.

other end against a pin 47 carried by said plunger, thus tending to hold the valve in seated position. An adjusting nut 48 is carricd by the threaded end of the plunger 43 and bears against the vertical arm'of the bell crank 34. A drip device comprising a cylindrical sleeve 49 and a concave annular flange 50 is slidingly mounted on the plunger 43 between the ear 31 and the boss 32 and is held in normal position with the edge of the flange 50 adjacent and in contact with the wall of the boss 32 by means of an expansive coil spring 51 hearing against said flange and the face of the car 31. Marginal notches 52 are providedin the flange 50. The boss 27 of the rib 25 is directly below the seat of the valve plunger 43 and said boss is'apertured to receive a pipe 53, loosely. The pipe 53 has one threaded end projecting above the boss 27 and extends through the top plate 11 in a plane substantially parallel marginal notches 57. and an annular ring 58 projecting laterally from one face there of. said ring being of less diameter than the plate and of greater diameter than the boss 55, said plate being adapted to marginally engage with the annular step of the cup 54, the ring 58 extending downwardly around and slightly below the top of the boss 55, thus forming a trap. A relatively shallow evaporating pan 59 is formed with a central boss 60 and provided with a curved hook 61 secured to said boss by means of a screw or bolt 62. The hook 61 is so curved as to permit suspension of the pan 59 thereby, from and immediately below the cylinder 17, the lower end of the pipe 53 discharging into said pan. A hole is formed at some convenient point in the side wall of the pan 59 and an overflow pipe 63 leads from said hole through the casing 10 to a point of discharge outside of said casing, thelehy preventing overflow of the evaporating pan An adjusting screw 64 provided with a lock nut 65 is mounted in threaded engagement through one side of the boss 26 below the horizontal arm of the hell (rank 34 and serves as a stop to limit the nuivciucnt of said bell crank.

My device is preferably mounted in and on a warm air heater substantially as shown in Figure 1 and adjusted so that the valve plunger 43 is held to its seat by the spring 46 and the vertical arm of the bell rank 34 i isvagainst the ear'3O when the heater is at low temperature. As the temperature inthe heater is increased, the cylinder 17 expands axially at a greater rate than the rod 22, due to the difference in the coetficients of expansion of the two metals of'which these parts are made, and this expansion of the cylinder exerts a pull on the rod 22, rotating the bell crank 20 which in turn rotates the bell crank 34 through the rod 36 transmit ting a pull on, the valve plunger 43 against the pressure of the spring 46, unseating said valve and permitting water to escape through the boss 32 and notches 52 whence it drips onto the plate 56, passes through the notches 57 into the cup 54 and thence through the 59, there to e converted into water vapor by the heat radiated from the fire-box 13. As the volume'of water escaping from the boss 32 increases, the supplementary valve 50 is forced back against the pressure of the spring 51 permitting increased flow to the cup 54 and at. the same time directing the a flow to said cup. The maximum desired opening of the valve is determined by limiting the range of movement of the bell crank 34 by means of the adjusting screw 64, any further tension on the rod 36 serving only to compress the spring 37. As the temperature within the heater decreases, the springs 37, 46 and 51 return the elements to normal position and the flow of water is diminished accordingly. It is the function of the recluced end portion of the valve plunger /43 to prevent closing of the escape port in the boss 32 through deposit of sediment, corrosion or the like and the notched cup or shield provides a means of directing the water to the cup 54 in a uniform dripping manner. The trap formed by the cup 54 and plate 56 likewise guards against closure of the pipe 53 by accumulations of sediment as well as preventing esca e-of, warm air from the heater through sai pipe. All'of the metal parts of the device in contact with water or water vapor are preferably made of some non-rusting metal such as brass, aluminum or the like.

I claiin as my invention- 1. The combination with a warm air heater, of a humidifier comprising a hollow shaft mounted vertically. through the top of said heater, an heat-expansible device carried by one end of said shaft within said heater, a frame on the other end of said shaft without. said heater, water supply means connected with said frame, water flow control means carried by said frame, connections between said "heat-expansible device and v water flow control means, through said shaft, whereby expansion of said evice is transmitted to actuate said control means, together with an evaporating pan carried by said heat-expansible device pipe 53 tothe evaporating pan .ing

and water receiving and conducting means carried by said frame adjacent said water flow control means and discharging in said evaporating pan.

2. The combination with a warm air heater, of a humidifier comprising a hollow shaft mounted vertically through the top of said heater, an axially-expansible thermostat fixed to and extendin laterally from one end of said shaft within said heater, a frame on the other end of said shaft without said heater, said frame supporting water 4 supply connections and a springpressed water flow control valve, draft connections through said shaft between said thermostat and valve whereby said valve is opened by expansion of said thermostat, together with water receivin and conductin means carried bysaid rame adjacent said valve and discharging in an evaporatpa-n carried by said thermostat.

3. In a humidifier of the character described, a vertical hollow shaft, a frame.

fixed to the upper end of said shaft and. water supply connections and water flow control means carried by said frame, an axially-expansible thermostat fixed to and projectin laterally from the lower end of said shatt, said thermostat comprising a hollow cylinder'closed at one end andformed of a metal having a relatively highcoefiicient of expansion, a bracket formed on the open end of said cylinder, a bell crank mounted for oscillation within the angle of said bracket, a rod formed of a metal having a relatively low coefficient of expansion axially of said cylinder and connecting one arm of said bell crank with the closed end thereof, together with connections through said shaft whereby the oscillation of said bell crank is transmitted to said water flow control means.

4. In a humidifier of the character described a vertical hollow shaft, an axiallyexpansihle thermostat fixed to and projectshaft, :1 frame carried by the upper end of said shaft and water supply connections and water-flow control means on said frame, draft connections between said thermostat and said water flow control means, said connections comprising a bell crank on said thermostat, a hell crank on said frame and a rod through said shaft connecting parallel arms of said bell cranks.

5. In a humidifier of the character described a vertical hollow shaft, an axiallyexpansible thermostat fixed to and projecting laterally from the lower end of said shaft, a frame carried by the upper end of said shaft and water supply connections on said frame, water flow control means carried by said frame, said means comprising a bore having a tapered valve seatcommunicating with said water supply connections, a twodiameter, spring-pressed plunger having a tapered portion connecting the portions of difl'crent diameters mounted for rectilinear reciprocation on said frame with its tapered shoulder adjacent and normally spring held in closing position against said tapered valve seat and its portion of lesser diameter within and extending through said bore, together with connections between said thermostat and water flow control means whereby tem perature changes affecting said thermostat may be caused to actuate said control means.

6. In a humidifier of the character described a spring-pressed, plunger type, water flow control valve adapted for actuation through connection with an heat-ex pansible device, a supplementary valve carried by said plunger type valve and comprising a spring-presse sleeve formed with a concave annular flange slidingly mounted on said plunger with its concave flange adjacent and surrounding the plunger valve seat and marginal notches in said flange, said supplementary valve being operable by the pressure of fluid released through said plunger type valve.

7. In a humidifier of the character described a vertical shaft, an heat-expansible device fixed to the lower end of said shaft and supporting an evaporating pan, :1 frame fixed to the upper end of said shaft and water supply connections and water flow control means carried by said frame, water receiving and conducting means carried by said frame, said means comprising a twodiameter cup having an annular step on the inner face of its side wall and a central boss projecting upwardly from its base, a

plate formed with marginal notches and a downwardly-projecting annular ring of greater diameter than said boss, transversely of said cup, marginally engaging said step and having the lower margin of said ring in a plane beneath the top of said boss and a pipe threadedly engaging said boss beneath said plate and discharging in said evaporatmg pan.

8. In a scribed a vertical shaft and a cylindrical thermostat fixed to and projecting laterally from the lower end of said shaft, an evaporating pan adapted to be suspended from and immediately below said thermostat, said pan comprising a frustro-conical' wall portion integral with a base-closing plate formed with an upwardly-extending central boss, a curved strap hanger adapted to substantially encircle said thermostat and fixed to and rising from said boss and an aperture in said wall portion adapted to register with the end of an overflow pipe.

9. In a humidifier of the character described a vertical shaft and operating connections including bell cranks adjacent either end of said shaft and having their parallel arms connected by a rod through said shaft, means for limiting the oscillation of one of said bell cranks, said means comprising a stop screw beneath and adapted for contact with one arm of one of said bell cranks and yielding means between said arm and the end of said rod whereby said rod may be ermitted a range of movement in excess 0 that of said bell crank.

In witness whereof I afiix my signature.

LINDSAY H. TIMMONS.

humidifier of the character de-' I 

